Imagine. A beautiful urban landscape thriving in its setting. Native plant communities can help you create a landscape that works with you. These plants evolved to survive and be compatible within an environment.
In Missouri, forest, glade, prairie, savanna, and wetland are our five natural communities. Native plants and their communities can inspire us to think of site qualities as assets. Rather than amending and modifying sites, we can work with appropriate native species. Those that have adapted to similar conditions can help us create stunning landscapes.
Wetlands are an excellent example of a natural community to inspire urban landscapes. Most wetlands have sites that are permanently or seasonally flooded. Because of this, their soils are oxygen deprived. Naturally, wet areas are home to various trees, grasses, sedges, rushes, and perennials. These can form the nucleus of a beautiful pond garden, bioswale, or rain garden.
But wetland plants also perform well on compacted, anaerobic urban soils. They can tolerate periods of drought and are not affected by high-pH soil. Many wetland and swamp species, such as sumacs and buttonbush, are also salt-tolerant. This fact is important as salt runoff, salinized soils, and dog urine damage plants and soils.
Designing your landscape with natural communities is no different than any landscape design. Here are five principles for planting success:
Five Principles for Native Planting in Urban Landscapes
1. Design with landscape goal(s) in mind, for example erosion control or drought-tolerance.
2. Think of natural site quality as an asset. Shade, wet clay, and steep slopes can be assets to create a unique native plant community. Resist the temptation to fertilize. Fertilizers can increase competition with weeds and decrease life expectancy of many natives.
3. Use native plants in three layers. This maintains cool soil and discourages competitive weeds. Plant woodies for structure followed by seasonal perennials. Add a ground-cover layer of low-growing plants instead of mulch. This can help prevent the soil from gaining too much organic matter.
4. Make it attractive and legible. Create “frames” around planting beds with grass or paths. Lower landscape planting height is especially important in urban contexts.
5. Think management not maintenance. Natural plant communities evolve through competition, succession, and disturbance. As plants die out, naturalize, and spread, a robust and resilient planting occurs.
Find the Best Natives for Your Urban Planting Project at Forrest Keeling
Wetland species provide a viable option for plantings in a range of environments. These and other native species add beauty and sustainability to urban landscapes.
For a list of native wetland species, check out our inventory online. Forrest Keeling… where the best native plants begin.